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Ranka
Ranka is a central figure to the origin story of multiple characters on Dead on Arrival. A professional demon hunter and hitman, Ranka is also the vampire sire of Amoura and thus inextricably linked to many events that occurred on Genesis as a result of her actions. He becomes the new political leader of Isafaro after General Vulture's death at the hands of the last Arashi. Description Appearance Ranka has a distinctively vampiric appearance. His skin is a milky white, void of any and all imperfection; his features are as flawless—and as haunting as a porcelain figure. In steep contrast with his pale complexion is his stark black hair, un-kept and messy, giving him what many would qualify to be a rock-star look. His deep ruby-red eyes betray his origin as a nightwalker even though most would agree that Ranka remains a strikingly beautiful figure by both human and vampire standards. Ranka wears a red band over his head with his bangs emerging over it. The most distinctive feature oh his attire is his tattered red cape held in place over his shoulders and lower face by several buckles. Underneath his cape, Ranka usually keeps his clothes in shades of black. Ranka wears a holster for his guns, the Quicksilver against his right leg, and another one against his back at belt level for the Anaconda. Ranka also wears metal-capped boots designed for combat and protection and a series of utility belts for his ammunition and arsenal. Personality Ranka is a quiet and brooding figure. This trait alone has made it so that very few people have come to know the man, but behind that facade is a highly intelligent and surprisingly kind person. Though he prefers solitude due to his nature as a vampire, Ranka is a devout defender of mankind in face of the supernatural. Because of his origins, that train of thought has often brought him in morally objectifiable situations. For those who do know him, there is no question that Ranka can be described as ruthless, a master manipulator and above all - brilliant. Story 'Origin' Memories of his childhood are few and in most cases fragmented, however Ranka does remember that his youth was happily spent far in the Canadian country-side in a rather wealthy family. He knows his liking for the peace of standing by a fireplace in silence comes from there, as well as his love for landscapes and solitude, where many would assume they are by-products of his vampiric nature. Ranka was part of a secret government experiment bound to create manufactured vampires in order to create a more durable kind of soldier on the battlefield. He was the prototype of the project, and alas the only specimen. After going through a series of mutations via genetic manipulation whilst being held stable closest to full medical death, Ranka’s transformation as a monster was complete. Over the years it took to finalize the project, Ranka slowly fell out of sanity, and eventually rebelled against his military captors, assassinating everyone in the complex before attempting his escape. He was terminated by the well-organized forces, and would have disappeared amidst a pile of documentation were it not for the unlikely apparition of a vampire on the scene of the massacre. Through a motive unknown by Ranka even to this day, the vampire decided to resurrect him as a nightwalker, and leave him stranded exactly where his previous life had ended. Made to kill and then reborn for the same purpose, Ranka decided to use his natural talents to become a hired killer in the lucrative business of assassination. Working his way into the underworld, he eventually built a network around which he could begin to take contracts. The first jobs were easy, and paid enough to give him a comfortable lifestyle, however it was soon realized that the vampire's potential was wasted on petty mortal killings. Eventually greater assets took notice of Ranka’s talent, giving him the opportunity to leave the underworld and affiliate himself with greater, more obscure enterprises. Some jobs made him travel all over the world to eliminate his targets, each with varying sets of conditions and risk, but every job had one thing in common in that they paid extremely well… and sometimes in things far more precious than money. Weapons, power, political leverage—all were at Ranka’s fingertips as payment for the jobs, and his dark gift evolved with each killing. 'The Silver Bullet' After a few decades, Ranka was contracted to hunt down other vampires, werewolves and other mystical beasts. Ranka found a passion in the art of killing the supernatural, and executed his marks with an uncanny flawlessness. No contract ever escaped him; he was The Silver Bullet - the traitorous vampire - the killer of his own kind. He experimented with drinking the blood of demons and other creatures. The result made his dark gift mature even further, transforming him into an impressively dangerous predator even as a relatively young vampire. Ranka was suddenly not only hated - he was feared. Even though the vampire’s head was sought by many circles, many still bought his services to shift the balance of power amongst the clans. Eventually Ranka realized the extent of his power and retreated from life as a mercenary, instead building himself an empire of connections where he could control the outcome of multiple conflicts with little more than a phone call. Still the thrill of the hunt would call to him periodically. He only took the cases he deemed to be the most difficult or interesting at this point. Eventually Ranka was hired to kill another demon hunter named Dante. The contractor put a similar hit on the vampire's head for the son of Sparda in an elaborate ploy to kill either one or the other. The resulting battle between the two led to a lasting partnership with Devil May Cry and the Silver Bullet. A friendly rivalry developed between Dante and Ranka over the years. Often time the two would find use of each other during some jobs, frequently increasing the number of their engagements as time went on. Ranka's resources proved invaluable to the Demon Hunter whilst the devil's immense power provided the vampire with his most powerful weapon - an ally. Though he wasn't officially part of Devil May Cry himself, Dante became one of Ranka's most regular correspondence. 'Daikus' Guardian' Business with Devil May Cry wasn't profitable, but it was not an issue for Ranka as he was financially secure from his years as a professional assassin. Knowing this, Dante put his newborn son Daikus in the vampire's hands - believing he could offer the infant protection and care that he couldn't as his own father. Ranka accepted against his better judgement, and rose the child as a guardian. Visits to Dante were frequent enough provided it was safe to do so, though for all intents and purposes Ranka acted as the true father figure to Daikus. Understanding that being the son of the Demon Hunter Dante would attract the eyes of many enemies, Ranka took it upon himself to train the boy as a warrior with Dante's blessings. Sharing the temper of his father, Daikus was hot-headed and reckless - caring little for his dad's occupation. He did grow to respect Ranka in their training however, showing a surprising admiration for the vampire's methods and skills. He assimilated the material with relative ease when it came to combat tactics, though showed no appreciation for the careful game of politics and economics. Regardless, Daikus was privy to multiple contacts amidst Ranka's network which he eventually began to use to setup his own independent business as a mercenary many years later. Daikus left Ranka's estate when he was sixteen after an incident which revealed the son of Dante to be living with the vampire. The two occasionally checked up with each other via a private set of channels they established but rarely kept in touch as Daikus' teenage years called him out to the world. Dante was not so fortunate, and instead thanked the vampire whom he was now eternally indebted to. 'Amoura's Sire' Ranka's operations continued to work closely with Devil May Cry for a number of years until vampire attacks demanded his attention out of the country. During that time the daughter of Mundus, Amoura Ethelia, managed to escape the underworld via a rift between the two realms. She was quickly accosted by Dante whom initially went out to kill her but hesitated once Amoura protested that she did not have any quarrel with humans. Seeing that her powers rivaled his own, Dante tried to convince Amoura to join his business. She turned down his offer and instead went out on her own. It wasn't until Amoura's encounter with Veran that Ranka reappeared. Insane from the experience, Amoura killed dozen of humans in cold blood before the vampire's intervention. Having no other choice, he shot her multiple times with the Quicksilver, leaving her on the brink of death. Ranka took it upon himself to sire Amoura in order to save her life, not knowing that she was infected with the Waking Nightmare. He brought her back to Devil May Cry and nursed her back to health - a process that would take months due to the infectious power of the Arashi. The process would have mutual benefits, as Ranka was also coping with the same nightmares. Maintaining a surprising amount of composure in light of their shared disease, Ranka eventually managed to eradicate Amoura's psychosis and bring her back to a coherent and autonomous state. Refusing to leave his progeny's side, the vampire decided to move in Devil May Cry - becoming a permanent employee - and spending every waking moment taking care of the hybrid. 'Legacy of Sparda' Fascinated by Veran's unprecedented scope of power, Dante tracked him down and engaged in open battle with the Arashi. The Demon Hunter nearly lost his life in the fight were it not for a timely intervention by his brother Vergil. Infected with the waking nightmare, Dante left his shop and reclused himself - leaving all contracts and deals to Ranka. The Vampire operated on a similar basis as the son of Sparda, taking local jobs so as to spend as much time with Amoura who was still severely traumatized from her encounter with the First Aspect. Eventually she expressed a desire to assist her sire in running Devil May Cry, who then began teaching about her new powers as a vampire. During this time Ranka used the contracts as training sessions to keep a close eye on Amoura. She displayed a surprising array of combat abilities due to her lineage as a direct descendant of Mundus and grew increasingly comfortable with the idea of becoming a demon hunter herself. Eventually she took on her own assignments, earning herself a reputation as the Night Angel, and became a prominent member of Devil May Cry. Even though Amoura no longer required attention, Ranka stayed to run the business in Dante's absence, earning a friend in the woman he saved. 'Endgame' Two years passed after Dante's disappearance where the two held the prominent demon-slaying office. Eventually a lead took them back to Mallet Island where the demon hunter had apparently been spotted. The investigation ended in an encounter with Dranex, one of the six members of a demonic covenant known as the Council of Legion. Even against the combined efforts of Ranka and Amoura, the demon general showed himself to be an overwhelming force and pushed the two vampires to the brink of defeat until a figure looking like Dante ordered it to stand down before vanishing with Dranex. Concerned by this turn of event, the pair returned to Devil May Cry to notice a dramatic increase in demonic activity. Ranka began an investigation on the Council of Legion while Amoura maintained the office's service. His findings led him to Dumary Island whilst the populace was under attack by a vampiress known as Maricul. Ranka easily defeated the woman only to find that his source had mysteriously vanished. Returning to Devil May Cry Ranka found that another exceedingly powerful vampire, Alucard, was rampaging through the streets of Domino city and that Amoura had gone to try and stop him. Racing after his progeny, Ranka made a timely entrance in a bar where Alucard had killed all the patrons in cold blood and urged Amoura to flee. Unleashing their familiars, Ranka and Alucard attacked each other. The fight ended when Ranka attempted to drink the No-Life-King's blood and inadvertently weakened himself to the Waking Nightmare. Satisfied with their battle, Alucard allowed Ranka to live and be carried to safety by Amoura. Ranka was out of commission for several weeks, leaving Amoura to fend for the needs of the business. During this time, the Legendary Dark Knight Sparda reemerged with news about the Council of Legion after an encounter with another of their members, Tajna Rasha. Meanwhile, Maricul returned to form and assembled a group of vampiress she dubbed the Sisterhood to exact her revenge against Ranka and his allies at Devil May Cry. Focused on the threat of the Council of Legion, the organization was blind sided by the operations of the Sisterhood which aimed to tarnish Devil May Cry's reputation to the public and have them hunted down as criminals by the authorities. Caught in the cross-fire of two powerful enemies, Devil May Cry was forced to move out of office and cease all standing activities. Paralyzed and branded as pariahs, Ranka found no alternatives but to betray his allies and go rogue, allowing him to operate from his own shadow network where he could take down the Sisterhood while the remainder of Devil May Cry focused on the council. Taking his betrayal personally, Amoura went after her sire thinking it her responsibility to take him out. Using the powers of the Waking Nightmare, Amoura cornered her master but held back when presented an opportunity to deal a killing blow, instead allowing him to leave. Following Amoura's attempt, Sparda also tried to settle the score with the vampire - only to be toyed with in turn and forced to escape the explosion of a rigged building - saving a number of bystanders in the process. The conflict was heavily documented by the media, which began a long process of restoring Devil May Cry's name in the eyes of the press. Daikus contacted Ranka shortly after the publicity stunt, offering to fake the vampire's death in exchange of the assassination of two demons after his head. Ranka executed as asked and discarded his signatures weapons to his old protégé as a sign of his deed. Grieving her sire's death, Amoura drank a blood-packet spiked with some of Ranka's blood - making her a free vampire and revealing the truth of his betrayal to her. Dedicated to their cause, Amoura joined forces with Sparda and Arix against the demons of the Council of Legion. At some point during the war Amoura was confronted by Validus, another member of the council, and killed during their battle. Stricken by Amoura's death, and with Devil May Cry and the Sisterhood believing the vampire to be dead, Ranka proceeded to debilitate Maricul's operations for the better part of the following year. Eventually the conflict saw the rise of a new force called the Judgement and quickly turned global, at which point Ranka returned his attention to battling the forces of darkness. 'Dead on Arrival' The war with the Council of Legion and Judgement ended when dimensional rifts opened throughout the realm and the two groups vanished. Trying to contain the new threat, Ranka hunted the portals and devised containment strategies over a year. Eventually his efforts brought him face-to-face with Tajna Rasha, who then trapped the vampire in a timeless dimension for an undetermined period of time. Pulled from the timeline and incapable of breaking free, Ranka finally gained his freedom once the Ghost of Legion died at the hands of the final Arashi, Eos. Powers Vampires are bestowed with the dark gift, over time it generally develops into a set of abilities and powers unique to the vampire in question. Due to feeding on demonic blood, this translated into a an immunity to common vampire weaknesses such as holy blessings and silver for Ranka and enhanced his already supernatural agility and dexterity to phenomenal heights. Ranka’s dark gift also evolved to give him superior senses than other vampires: He is able to pick up the scent of blood from miles away, and give an adequate description of it’s bearer by smell, sight or taste. This particular skill has made him an exceptional tracker and hunter. Ranka is a talented marksman and fighter, though his most dangerous asset remains in his quick-thinking and high intellect which he uses to a frightening degree to bring down his opponents through careful meticulous planning. Ranka's familiars also act differently than those of a common vampire, as he is able to transform his body into a demonic shell capable of impossible feats. Doing so, they also merge with his weaponry and change them into even more powerful artifacts. Weapons Claw Type: Cybernetic Arm The single gift he inherited from his captors, the Cybernetic arm is a robotic replacement for Ranka’s lost limb. The original model has since been discarded since Daikus took it from the vampire to fake his death. Having since regenerated his left arm, Ranka's new claw is actually a glove that he wears in the same spot where the other one resided. Tinted a golden color, the arm is actually composed of a very dense titanium/chromium alloy and coated with only a few atoms thick of diamond material. Consequently, the prototype machinery is actually one of the most advanced weapons ever made. Every digit extends into a talon sharpened by cutting-edge laser technology, and the arm itself is outfitted with many devices, including a bi-current palladium energy cell that powers the claw indefinitely, and a remote control for nearly every weapon in Ranka’s arsenal. Given its potential as a weapon, the prosthesis is still useful in every-day life chores, allowing Ranka to do virtually everything a normal human hand could. In case of maintenance, Ranka has to use specially designed tools to access and repair the arm. The Anaconda Type: Revolver Chambering: Highly modified 45LC Barrel Length: 203.2 mm Capacity: 6 rounds Made for Ranka, it is crafted from a dark silver alloy and fires 45. Cal armor piercing, explosive core, silver cased bullets. It is far too heavy to be of any use to a human, both because of it’s weight and the power that might knock back the wielder if he doesn't wield a frightening strength himself. Once in Ranka's hands, this weapon can be lethal to virtually anything. It rips through walls of concrete as easily as they would fly through the air and their explosive impact tears almost any enemy to shreds. The Quicksilver Type: Semi-Auto, Auto Chambering: Custom, Cal. 16mm Barrel Length: Capacity: 80 Rounds Undoubtedly one of the finest works of a gunsmith, the Quicksilver is a gun of innovative design, the three barreled and multifunctional gear inside the weapon allowing single, dual and triple fire either as a semi-automatic, burst fire or a fully automatic weapon. The custom 16mm silver cased, armor piercing, explosive core blessed bullets making it the ideal weapon to rip through anything. Produced with cutting-edge and experimental technology, allowing it to be outfitted with an impressive number of gadgets, the Quicksilver surpasses most weapons by far… Especially in the hands of one blessed with the dark gift. Pandora Type: Devil Arm Chambering: Variable Barrel Length: Variable Capacity: Infinite A keepsake from his days in Devil May Cry, Pandora was stolen from the office by Daikus and given to Ranka to replace his lost cybernetic arm. Pandora is a versatile weapon of demonic origin, able to change its shape at the user's will in any one of its six-hundred-and-sixty-six forms. Due to its mystical nature it has never been known to run out of ammunition nor power. Pandora itself is virtually indestructible. While not in use, Ranka carries it around in the form of a briefcase with intricate patterns and designs etched across its surface. Relationships 'Alucard' Alucard and Ranka battled and have considered enemies ever since. Though Ranka considers Alucard to be a maniacal and dangerous individual that needs to be put down, the No-Life-King has a strange respect for the mercenary for his prowess as a Nosferatu. Ranka also drank part of Alucard's blood, which made him privy to intricate knowledge and memories of the monster. Their paths have yet to cross again since their first encounter. 'Amoura' One of Ranka's most powerful and intimate relationships lies with Amoura. After saving her from the Waking Nightmare's powers and siring her, the two became inextricably linked. Ranka felt a deep protective instinct in regards to his progeny. While Amoura had romantic feelings for her savior, Ranka never seemed to reciprocate and regarded their friendship as platonic - though deeply loving and compassionate. A strong bond remained between the two even after Ranka seemingly betrayed Devil May Cry, with Amoura frequently dreaming of her sire via the Waking Nightmare while Ranka tricked her into drinking his own blood to expand her powers as a vampire. As demon-slaying partners, the two mutually saved each other and understood each others' tactics - making them a feared and respected force in the underworld. Ranka was physically distressed upon feeling Amoura's death at the hands of Validus, and vowed vengeance on the Council of Legion for their actions. 'Daikus' As Daikus' adoptive father, a strong connection exists between the two. Though Daikus' is known to be abrasive, crass and hot-tempered, he shows none of these traits around the vampire - treating him with great respect. Similarly, Daikus is the only person to whom Ranka is entirely truthful with - easily letting him on plans he usually makes secret for everyone else in his life. The result is a great complicity between the two men who frequently back each other no matter the situation. 'Dante' Long time partners in their respective demon-slaying endeavors, Dante and Ranka largely consider each other friends and rivals. An amicable camaraderie has developed between the two over the years, and they often take a liking to compare each others' skills and relative kill count. As evident by Dante leaving his son in the vampire's care, the demon hunter has the utmost trust and respect for Ranka. This is further reinforced once Ranka takes care of Devil May Cry during Dante's absence until his return. Ranka would think of Dante to be one of the few people he considers a friend. 'Maricul' 'Sparda' 'Veran' Quotes *(After killing a demon in front of Devil May Cry)‘‘Sorry, I couldn’t resist making an entrance…’’ *(To Amoura)‘‘Beats me if your father is Sparda’s ex-bitch.’’ *(To Dante)‘‘Speaking of which, Enzo left me a message about a new job… Don’t forget to tell him that he has no right to call my phone.’’ Trivia *Ranka's playby is Vincent Valentine from Final Fantasy VII. *Ranka has been a recurring character of Gui's across multiple boards and forums. *Ranka is Gui's favorite character. *Although Ranka and Alucard are enemies on DOA, both characters had extensive interactions with each other on an older forum where they both worked under Hellsing as sire and master. Their contrasting relationship between both universes is thus ironic as well as iconic for other members who knew them as partners. Category:Gui Category:Vampire Category:Ranka Category:Protagonist Category:Devil May Cry